USA-VETERANS/MCDONALD-REORGANIZATION Major reorganization of U.S. Veterans Affairs Department has begun - McDonald

Record ID: 643562

  • Title: USA-VETERANS/MCDONALD-REORGANIZATION Major reorganization of U.S. Veterans Affairs Department has begun - McDonald
  • Date: 10th November 2014
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 10, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF VETERANS AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
  • Embargoed: 25th November 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA8IVSTV8EB1WQQTBSIGYRMNXMQ
  • Story Text: The U.S. Veterans Affairs (VA) Department has begun a major overhaul of the organization designed to "rebuild trust" and improve care for veterans, VA Secretary Bob McDonald said on Monday (November 10).
    "We've begun what may become the largest restructuring in the department's history," McDonald said in a speech at the headquarters of the Washington Post.
    The reorganization follows a scandal last summer over veterans languishing on long waiting lists for care at VA clinics and hospitals.
    "We've set our sights on three non-negotiable goals: First is to rebuild trust, rebuild trust with veterans and rebuild trust with stakeholders; second is to improve service delivery focusing only on veteran outcomes; this is to set a course for long term excellence and reform. We've made progress on all three, but we still have work to do," McDonald said.
    McDonald said last week the department will seek budget increases to deal with medical appointment backlogs and the mounting costs of caring for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
    The increases will be requested on top of about $16 billion in emergency funds that Congress approved last summer amid a scandal over veterans languishing on long waiting lists for care at VA clinics and hospitals.
    The VA's budget has increased every year during the Obama administration from about $100 billion in fiscal 2009 to about $154 billion for the 2014 fiscal year, largely as a result of decisions to allow medical claims for PTSD and Agent Orange conditions.
    While the $16 billion in emergency funds approved in July will allow the VA to hire more doctors and nurses, open new clinics and expand private care, he said it will not allow the hiring of more people to deal with a backlog of disability claims for veterans.
    McDonald, the former Procter & Gamble Co chief executive took over as VA secretary in August after former Army general Eric Shinseki resigned the post amid the care delay scandal.
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